“Will there be someone who can go out with us?” Milly inquired. “After all, I’m thinkin’ the big guy here can’t drive a boat.”

The man flashed that brilliant smile at Gannon once more, and he felt as though he’d been sucker-punched.

Twice.

“We’ll have someone, sure.”

“You?” Gannon queried, wishing he could pull the question back as soon as the word left his mouth.

“Not sure yet.” Those full lips curved up in a knowing grin. “There’re four of us. Someone’ll be available.”

“Perfect,” Gannon said, hoping Milly hadn’t noticed the sexual tension that had suddenly ratcheted the temperature in the small office up a few degrees.

“I’m sorry,” Milly interrupted. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Cam,” the man replied. “Cam Strickland.”

“Is that short for…?” Milly left the sentence hanging.

Cam grinned, a brilliant flash of straight white teeth. “Cam. It’s short for Cam. My dad’s a car nut.”

Sexy guy, sexy name. Figured.

Gannon purposely looked away. The tension was coiling tighter in his gut, something he hadn’t had to deal with in a while, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it now.

“Thank you, Cam,” Milly inserted. “We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday at ten. What else do you need from us to get it set up? Need us to sign something? A credit card? Want his phone number?”

Gannon choked, covering his mouth and praying he wasn’t blushing.

Cam’s eyes slid from Milly back to Gannon. There was something in that heated, inquisitive gaze. Those ocean-blue eyes casually raked over Gannon, but for the life of him, he couldn’t translate what he saw there. Was it interest? Curiosity? Amusement?

Gannon didn’t know, but suddenly he was hoping like hell Cam would be the one taking them out on the boat. A little premature, sure. But Gannon hadn’t had this sort of reaction to anyone in a while, and although he knew better, he was having a hard time listening to reason.

At thirty-six—though most people thought he was far younger—it’d been a long damn time since Gannon had had any interest in a man. Sure, he’d had brief flings, but he usually kept those impersonal, using his company and the fact that he worked eighty or more hours a week as an excuse. The truth was, he didn’t have time to date, nor the inclination. After years of trying to find the one person who would understand him, be able to cope with his drive to excel at everything he did, the fact that he sometimes traveled more than he was at home, Gannon had pretty much given up.

So, clearly, this instinctive reaction to Cam … well, it meant Gannon’s dry spell had reached the dehydrated stage. He was curious, sure, but the notion was illogical at the same time. There was no way they had anything in common, yet he still found himself fascinated.

And hell if he knew why that was.

Gannon watched Milly and Cam work out the logistics while he stole frequent glimpses of the sexy Cam Strickland and pretended to be interested in his phone.

“Yes, two hours,” Milly confirmed.

Gannon felt a marginal amount of relief at the fact he’d only have to spend a couple of hours out on the water. Short, sweet, simple. Just the way he liked things.

He looked up at Cam again, felt that same thrill shoot through him.

Then again, he could probably tolerate a few more hours if it meant he got to spend it with Cam on board.

The insta-lust was new for him, something he’d never experienced before, at least not to this degree. And now, part of him wished that Milly wasn’t there, and perhaps that this wasn’t a marina but instead a bar.

Gannon wondered if he would’ve approached Cam if he’d seen him in a more relaxed setting.

He didn’t know.

But one thing was for certain … if Gannon got to spend any extended length of time with Cam, they were both sure to find out.

Five

Cam watched with subdued interest as Gannon and Milly left the marina office, and he didn’t take his eyes off of them until the impressive black Lexus pulled out of the parking lot.

“Was that as weird for you as it was for me?”

Cam jumped at the sound of Dare’s voice, spinning around to see his friend grinning from ear to ear. “Shit. You scared the hell out of me.”

“He was hot, right?” Dare teased, coming to stand beside Cam at the counter.

Hot? Cam wasn’t sure that was the word he’d use to describe Gannon. Attractive, sure. Nerdy, definitely. But hot?

Okay, he was fucking hot. In a nerdy sort of way.

“Whatever,” Cam muttered. “He’s now a client.”

“I heard,” Dare told him, glancing over at him. Then, in that irritating mocking tone of his, Dare continued to relay the conversation back to him, alternating voices. “Can someone take us out? We’ll have someone. Who, you? Maybe. You’re hot. You are, too.”

Snorting, Cam elbowed Dare. “Shut the hell up.”

Dare’s grin widened. “No, seriously, man. That dude was checkin’ you out.”

Cam knew Dare could keep this up all day if he allowed it. “Aren’t you supposed to be out doing something?”

“Nope.”

Cam cocked an eyebrow.

“What? Seriously.”

“Give Holly a hand. She’s got that daycare thing today. I’m sure she could use your help getting the kids ready to fish in the cove.”

Dare frowned. “I knew I should’ve stayed outside.” That frown flipped almost instantly. “But yeah,” he said as he backed toward the door. “I’ll go help your sister. And I’ll be sure to let her know you were eying some corporate hottie while I’m at it.”

“Don’t you dare,” Cam snapped. If Dare told Cam’s sister anything of the sort, Holly would give him hell. She was always trying to hook him up with guys. Once, she’d even tried to set Cam up with one of her husband’s friends. The worst part about it, the guy wasn’t even gay.

“Later, man,” Dare hollered, laughing as he slipped out the door.

“Great. Just what I need.”

“Talkin’ to yourself again?” Roan asked, coming to stand beside him.

Cam jumped. The second time in five minutes. What the hell was wrong with these people? Didn’t they know how to clear their throat or something? Let him know they were behind him?

“Who was that?” Roan asked, nodding toward the parking lot.

“Some guy and his assistant. They want to rent a boat next week to take out their work group.”

“Cool.” Roan didn’t seem at all interested.

“Everything okay?” Cam asked, reaching for the coffeepot and pouring what was left of the three-hour-old coffee into his mug.

“Maybe.”

Cam replaced the carafe, then faced Roan.

“It’s my sister,” Roan said.

“Cassie?” Roan had two sisters, one older, one younger. His older sister, Eva, was married with two kids, living in Ohio, while his younger sister, Cassie, was still in the area, though Cam didn’t know for sure where that was. She moved around a lot.

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?”

Roan shrugged. “My stepmom called this morning. She didn’t say much, just asked if I’d call Cass.”

Before Cam could inquire further, the door chimed and in walked a group of people. A dull roar erupted as they chattered amongst themselves, obviously there to rent a boat.

“Mornin’,” Cam greeted, then glanced over at Roan. “We’ll talk later, yeah?”

Roan nodded, then disappeared out the back door, leaving Cam to deal with the incoming.

“That guy was totally checking you out,” Milly said when Gannon pulled out onto the road that would lead back to the office. “Holy shit. Did you see his tattoos? And those muscles.”

Yeah, Gannon had seen them, all right.

“And I’m pretty sure his nipples were pierced?”

Gannon didn’t take his eyes off the road, not wanting Milly to see the confusion on his face. “Pierced? Why would…? What makes you think that?”